Police dog found dead

Police dog found dead, A working canine for the Woodstock, Ga., Police Department died from complications resulting from the heat, while locked inside of his handler's vehicle, reported Wednesday's 13 WMAZ News.

The dog, a three-year-old Belgian malinois named "Spartacus," worked with Officer Chad Berry, a 12-year veteran of the force.

Spartacus was found inside of the police cruiser on Monday night outside of Officer Berry's Pickens County home; officials have confirmed that the dog died from heat stroke.

Currently, two different law enforcement agencies are investigating the dog's death. It is unclear at this time exactly how long the dog had been left unattended inside of the vehicle.

According to NBC News, Spartacus lived at Officer Berry's residence, along with another canine who is retired from the force.

Officer Berry has been a K9 handler for several years and has even been honored as "officer of the year," in the not too distant past.

Berry is currently on paid administrative leave while this tragic situation is under investigation. Whether or not he will face criminal charges has not yet been determined.

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